In advanced-design layouts, articles, stories, books, and other document types are usually written by authors and editors in textual form using word processing editors like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and the like. Once an article or other document is written by an author (and possibly revised by an editor), it is often passed onto a designer or other user to beautify (e.g., to make ready for publication or outside distribution) using a desktop publishing application, such as soon as ADOBE® INDESIGN®. Beautification can take as much (or more) effort as the original writing and editing. Beautification frequently breaks down into two parts: exploring and applying. The exploring is the creative aspect of beautification, where the designer does the initial design work, exploring what kind of attributes go well with the document's various sections. The applying, on the other hand, is an editorial process, where the user finds the sections of a similar textual element (like the headings, sub-headings, and the like) and context, and applies the same attributes that the designer has already decided to use during the exploring.
For instance, textual documents are often composed of sections, where each section is a group of words (e.g., consecutive words) or other text that make up a specific kind of textual element, such as being part of the same title, heading, sub-heading, formula, paragraph body, caption, to name a few. In exploring, the designer is deciding the type of attributes such as font selection, features, sizes, and so on to apply to each of the various kinds of textual elements in the document. For example, exploration can take place in one portion of the document. However, the resulting effort to consistently apply these features in the proper context across a remaining portion of the document can make the entire beautification a highly time-consuming process.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those in light of the present disclosure.